


The Sunshine of a Friendly Gaze

by watcherofworlds



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Steggy Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2019-12-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22037044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watcherofworlds/pseuds/watcherofworlds
Summary: After spending a week in DC for a tattoo convention, Steve is eager to get home to New York- and to Peggy- for Christmas. He opts not to tell her that he's leaving, deciding to surprise her at the flower shop, where she's sure to be until the very last possible moment, selling poinsettias and mistletoe and the like to unfortunate procrastinators. Along the way, a winter storm blows in, but Steve is determined to make it home in time, no matter what.
Relationships: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Kudos: 29





	The Sunshine of a Friendly Gaze

Steve stepped into the parking garage of the convention hall and took a deep breath of the cold, crisp winter air that permeated it, relieved to finally be free of the crowds at last, though the chatter of thousands of intermingled voices still echoed in his ears. He strode swiftly toward his car, his mind filled with thoughts of home. And of Peggy.

When he reached his car, he got in it quickly but then spent several minutes just sitting in the driver’s seat just staring at his phone, debating with himself about whether or not to text or call Peggy and let her know that he was on his way home. In the end, he decided to surprise her. He was sure she would be at the shop until the very last moment, and he smiled, imagining the look on her face when he walked in the door. It would be like one of those Hallmark Christmas movies she would never admit that she secretly loved.

With that settled, Steve started his car and set off, settling in for the three and three quarter hour drive home to New York City. He futzed with the radio until it landed on a jazz station, something he could conceivably stand listening to for three plus hours straight. Peggy always teased him about his old fashioned tastes in music, calling him “Grandpa” every time they came up, but he couldn’t help it if he liked older music better than anything they came out with these days. Steve shook his head, pushing thoughts of Peggy from his mind, as they were making him drive faster in his eagerness to get home to her, and the  _ last  _ thing he wanted was to get pulled over for speeding on Christmas, especially not when he had a deadline to make. Well, not a deadline, per se, but a personal commitment, at the very least. He blew out a heavy sigh and forced himself to relax.

_ Slow and steady _ , he thought to himself.  _ I’ll make it. Everything will be fine. Slow and steady. _

About halfway through his trip, Steve stopped to get gas. After filling his tank, he went into the gas station convenience store to get himself a snack and a cup of coffee. When he came back out, a few scattered white flakes were beginning to drift down from out of the sky. He wondered if this was meant to be the winter storm that had been forecasted to roll in at some point on Christmas day.

_ Some storm this is _ , he thought, only slightly scornfully, before getting back in his car and continuing on his way. 

As he drove, however, the scattered flakes increased to flurries, until eventually

he couldn’t see more than a few feet ahead of him, even with his brights on. Steve started to worry. With the weather this bad, he was sure he would be able to keep the promise he had made to himself to be home for Christmas. He did his best to force himself to relax. It was only late afternoon, after all. As long as he was home by midnight, he would have still kept his promise. He had plenty of time. 

With the storm slowing his progress, it was well past sunset by the time Steve finally began to catch glimpses of the lights of New York. He was almost home. He had almost made it. As he drove through Manhattan and into Brooklyn, the deepening snow drifts muffled all the ambient noise, making a hush fall over everything that was so absolute that Steve could almost believe that he was the only person in the whole world. It was surprisingly soothing.

A few more turns, and then it came into sight- Flower Girl, Winifred’s flower shop, where Peggy worked, and then, next to it, his own place of business, Howling Wolf Tattoo. As he pulled into a parking spot at the curb in front of the former, Steve wondered if Winifred was working today as well, or if she’d left Peggy to run things while she spent the holiday at home with her family. Considering that the only other vehicle parked nearby that he recognized was Peggy’s, it must have been the latter. 

After taking a minute to compose himself- he’d spent the entire drive building up this moment in his head and now he needed to remind himself to manage his expectations- Steve exited his vehicle and hopped over the curb before striding swiftly towards the door of Flower Girl, his eagerness giving him speed. Peggy had her back to him when he entered, busy rearranging a table full of poinsettias in the center of the room, but she turned at the sound of the bell over the door ringing.

“Steve!” she cried joyfully when she saw him, running across the room and throwing her arms around him. He returned the embrace without even a second’s hesitation or thought, as happy to have Peggy in his arms again as she was to see him.

After a moment, Peggy pulled back and asked “Why didn’t you tell me that you were on your way home?”

“I wanted to surprise you,” Steve replied with a smile, voice soft. “I thought it’d be like in one of those Hallmark Christmas movies that you won’t admit that you love.”

“There’s a reason why I won’t,” Peggy joked, only slightly off topic. “They’re ridiculous and silly. They’re a guilty pleasure. That you’re. Not. Supposed. To. Tell. People. About.” She spoke this last sentence through gritted teeth, smacking him repeatedly on the shoulder to further punctuate each word.

“Don’t worry, I won’t,” Steve replied with a laugh, moving slightly so that his shoulder was out of reach of any more smacks, playful or otherwise. “I wouldn’t want to damage your fearsome reputation.”

“Merry Christmas, Peggy,” he murmured after a pause, once things had calmed a bit.

“Merry Christmas, Steve,” Peggy murmured in reply. They exchanged a kiss, and as they did so, Steve couldn’t help but think that to be here, in this moment, with the woman he loved, was the greatest gift he could have asked for.


End file.
